Her Voice, an initiative by the Artemis Health Sciences Foundation, is dedicated to advancing women’s health, empowerment, and well-being. Led by Ms. Shalini Kanwar Chand, Director at Artemis Hospitals and President of the Foundation, Her Voice places women at the center of its mission—encouraging them to take charge of their health, choices, and future.
In this exclusive interview with TheCSRUniverse, Ms. Chand shares how Her Voice is creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive platform that addresses the physical, emotional, and financial dimensions of women’s lives- especially in underserved communities. From vocational training and mental health support to financial literacy and stigma reduction, the initiative is helping women build confidence, access care, and reclaim agency.
The conversation covers the initiative’s grassroots approach, collaborations with healthcare experts and NGOs, and its alignment with emerging trends in women’s wellness in India. Ms. Chand also outlines Her Voice’s medium-term goals, new community partnerships, and how the program reflects Artemis Foundation’s broader CSR philosophy: not just helping women—but empowering them to lead change.
Scroll down for more insights:
Q. What is the core vision behind Her Voice, and what critical gaps in women’s health and empowerment are you aiming to address through this initiative?
A. The core vision behind Her Voice is to create a space where women feel seen, heard and supported, a platform that encourages open conversations around health, identity and empowerment. Too often, women’s health is reduced to medical terms, overlooking the emotional, social and cultural layers that shape their well-being. Through Her Voice, we aim to bridge that gap, breaking the silence around issues that are often brushed aside, from menstrual and mental health to the challenges of aging and access. We want to make accurate information accessible, remove stigma, and empower women to make informed choices about their bodies and their lives. At its heart, Her Voice is about giving women the confidence to own their stories and the power to shape change, for themselves and for others.
Q. What are some of the most recent or ongoing initiatives under Her Voice that aim to place women’s physical and emotional well-being at the center of community development?
A. At Her Voice, we aim to launch several initiatives under the aegis of Artemis Health Sciences Foundation, which shall focus on women’s physical and emotional well-being at the heart of community development. Our health and empowerment workshops look to combine medical awareness with mental wellness, creating safe spaces for women to share, learn and heal. Through community conversations and storytelling, we aim towards breaking taboos around topics like menstruation, menopause and mental health. We’re also looking forward towards linking well-being with opportunity, offering skill-building, mentorship and financial literacy sessions alongside health education, especially in underserved communities. At its core, every initiative under Her Voice is designed to help women reclaim agency over their bodies, their choices, and their futures.
Q. What specific efforts are being made to reduce stigma and myths around menstruation, reproductive health, or mental health within communities you engage with?
A. To reduce stigma around menstruation, reproductive, and mental health, Her Voice focuses on open dialogue, education and inclusion. We conduct interactive workshops and community sessions that normalise these conversations and replace myths with facts. Through storytelling, theatre and social media campaigns, we challenge taboos and create awareness in an engaging, relatable way. We also involve men, teachers, and parents to build supportive environments where women and girls feel safe to speak. Above all, we aim to make these topics part of everyday conversation, not whispered secrets, so awareness leads to dignity, confidence and change.
Q. Can you share how collaborations with healthcare professionals, educators, NGOs, or other partners have helped strengthen or scale the reach of Her Voice?
A. Here are some ways Her Voice has leveraged collaborations with healthcare professionals, educators, NGOs and other partners to strengthen and scale its impact:
- By partnering with Artemis Health Sciences Foundation, Her Voice taps into clinical expertise, counseling services and medical infrastructure, enabling women in its community programs to access professional health and emotional-well-being support.
- Collaboration with educators and skill-development partners enables inclusion of life-skills, financial literacy and vocational training alongside health modules, which means the initiative addresses well-being in a holistic way (not just medical).
- Engagement with community-based platforms (e.g., workshops, peer-sharing, “nukkad natak”/street-theatre) supported by local NGOs and educators helps to embed change in the social fabric, making discussions around stigma, mental-health and reproductive-health more mainstream.
- The partnership model also enables geographic scaling: by aligning with organizations having existing community reach (health centers, schools, local NGOs), Her Voice can extend from its initial region (Haryana/NCR) into additional states.
In short, the initiative multiplies its impact by connecting expert healthcare, educational empowerment, and community-driven change, through strategic collaborations.
Q. From your perspective, what are some emerging trends in women’s healthcare and empowerment in India, and how is Her Voice aligning with these developments?
A. Across India, women’s healthcare is shifting toward preventive care, holistic wellness and empowerment through information and access. There’s growing focus on mental health, hormonal balance and lifestyle-related issues, along with a surge in digital health and femtech solutions that make care more accessible. Her Voice aligns closely with these trends, promoting preventive awareness, integrating emotional and physical health and creating safe community spaces that encourage women to take charge of their well-being. By blending expert guidance with on-ground engagement, we’re helping transform awareness into lasting empowerment.
Q. How do you create safe spaces for women to share experiences and seek support at the grassroots level and what shifts are you noticing as a result of such spaces?
A. At the grassroots level, Her Voice creates safe spaces through peer sharing circles, community workshops and guided counseling sessions that are culturally sensitive and non-judgmental. These spaces encourage women to openly discuss health, emotional well-being and life challenges. As a result, we’re seeing greater confidence, increased health-seeking behavior, reduced stigma, and stronger community networks, empowering women to take informed decisions for themselves and their families.
Q. How do you see women’s empowerment contributing to broader social progress, including family well-being, education outcomes, and economic development?
A. Women’s empowerment drives broader social progress by creating a ripple effect across families and communities. Empowered women make informed decisions about health, nutrition and education, directly improving family well-being and children’s outcomes. When women have access to skills, resources, and opportunities, it boosts economic participation, increases household income and fosters entrepreneurship. Collectively, this leads to stronger communities, higher education attainment, and sustainable economic development, reinforcing a cycle of growth and equity.
Q. What are the primary challenges women continue to face in accessing healthcare and education, and what solutions do you see as most effective in bridging these gaps?
A. Women continue to face financial, cultural and infrastructural barriers in accessing healthcare and education. Limited awareness, social stigma around reproductive and mental health and lack of nearby facilities further restrict access, especially in rural and underserved communities. Effective solutions include community-based awareness programs, mobile and digital health platforms and culturally sensitive education initiatives. Partnering with local organizations, training female health workers and integrating health and education services at the grassroots level also help bridge these gaps, empowering women to make informed decisions and improving long-term outcomes.
Q. How does the CSR philosophy of Artemis Health Sciences Foundation translate into Her Voice as a long-term, community-driven platform for impact?
A. Artemis Health Sciences Foundation’s philosophy is rooted in supporting women and children from both rural and urban communities through meaningful, sustained initiatives. Her Voice extends this commitment by creating a platform that listens to and addresses every aspect of a woman’s life, from mental and emotional well-being to physical health and financial independence. It translates the Foundation’s focus into action by combining healthcare expertise with real conversations, skills training, and community engagement. The goal is not just to provide aid, but to build confidence, self-reliance, and long-term empowerment for women at every stage of life.
Q. What are the goals that you have set for Her Voice for the medium term? Are there any new collaborations or initiatives that will help you amplify its impact?
A. At Artemis Health Sciences Foundation, our medium-term objectives for Her Voice are centered on expanding our impact and fostering sustainable change in women's health and empowerment.
We aim to broaden our reach by scaling community-driven programs that address physical, emotional and social well-being. This includes the introduction of vocational training, financial literacy workshops and stress management initiatives to equip women with essential life skills. Additionally, we plan to enhance access to mental health support through collaborations with Artemis Health Sciences Foundation, providing professional counseling services to underserved communities.
To amplify our efforts, we are engaging with several grassroot NGOs to amplify the project, focusing on menstrual health education and hygiene in urban slums. These collaborations are instrumental in reducing stigma and promoting open dialogue around women's health issues.
Through these strategic initiatives and partnerships, Her Voice is committed to creating lasting, positive change, ensuring that women's voices are heard, their health needs addressed and their empowerment realized.
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